Laying Down the Law…In Fashion and Style!

Stonehenge, Just a Stone’s Throw Away From London

I remember the first time I visited Stonehenge. It seems like just yesterday. Fifteen, freezing, and fatigued, I vividly remember thinking “nice…a lovely little pile of rocks.” This time around, I was most definitely freezing (#Texanproblems) and fatigued, but no longer fifteen unfortunately…or perhaps fortunately.

This time around, there was something incredibly peaceful about yet another one of my favorite World Heritage Sites. I love the fact that like the pyramids of Giza, no one has a clue how Stonehenge came to be. That mystery can definitely be felt as you take a turn around the stones that date back to between 2000 and 3000 BC.

If you’re staying in London, it is incredibly easy to get there. There are countless tours that can take you, or if you’re up for a drive, it is just a few hours outside the city. I recommend going in the morning, and if you’re around town during the Summer Solstice, you will have an “interesting” people watching experience. I did this back in 2007 when I was living in the UK, and it was a rather unique experience.

Countless tales have been told about how the stones came into place. Was it a bunch of aliens? Or perhaps the Druids coming to offer their blessings?

British poet Layamon referenced Stonehenge in one of his most notable poems:

The stones are great And magic power they have Men that are sick Fare to that stone And they wash that stone And with that water bathe away their sickness

Here a few pictures from my visit. If you have visited this magical place, please feel free to share!

It is incredible. Driving past it to the West Country (Devon, Cornwall etc) something strange always happens. However well the traffic flows before and after, the stretch of road past the ‘henge always moves at a snail’s pace, the stones demand a long look and respect.

Thank you, Jamie! You will absolutely love it. If you go through with a standard ticket, you won’t be able to go inside the site. There are special tours you can purchase that will allow you to actually go up close. It is definitely worth it!

It’s been 33 years since I got to visit Stonehenge. Seems a millennium. (And yes, that does age me, doesn’t it!) In those Olden Days, they still let us wander right in among the stones without any paved paths or other impediments, and it was so lovely. The sense of history-and-mystery was still remarkably palpable. I’d go back in a heartbeat. Or, if I can figure out how to transcend my mortality in some nifty Druidic way, another millennium. 😉
Kathryn

When I visited the site in the early 2000s, we were able to walk straight up as well. What an incredible feeling it was to be so close to something so magical. Now you have to be taken onsite by bus. The atmosphere has definitely changed, but it never gets old. Hopefully you will be able to return soon.